After it was launched, donations started to roll in. Some of the wealthiest people in the world have donated. Bernard Arnault, France’s richest man, pledged €200 million ($226 million) along with L’Oreal. Francois-Henri Pinault pledged €100 million, same as oil company Total.

It has been reported they have already reached €1 billion. Addressing the nation in a television appearance, Macron said:

We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautiful and I want it to be completed in five years, we can do it. It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together, having deeply reflected on what we have been and what we have to be and become better than we are.

France’s President Macron says he wants #NotreDame rebuilt within 5 years.

He then continued saying that “it is up to us to find the thread of our national project,” and the country should “not fall into the trap of haste,” however, the tragedy should bring Parisians together:

What we saw last night in Paris was our capacity to mobilize and to unite.

Stéphane Bern, Presidential cultural heritage representative and journalist reported that the billion has been reached. He spoke to broadcaster France-Info on Wednesday where he claimed that the money has been reached within the day: